In case you’re reading this blog, smiling politely and thinking “yes, well, it sounds very funny,
but just what is ‘The Mr. Men Show’ all about?” , here’s a handy breakdown
of how it will play out:
Basically, every show is comprised of two 11
minute episodes, each built around a different theme. In one episode we
chronicle all the klutzy, goofy, catastrophic situations that befall our Mr. Men
and Little Misses when they hit the sandy beaches of Dillydale (that’s where
they live—and there’s something strange in the water for sure); in another, we
might focus on the humorous difficulties that arise from the otherwise banal
ritual of doing household chores (or not doing them, in Mr. Lazy’s case).
Each episode opens with a brief introduction provided by the wise but
funny narrator – think kid-friendly “Little Britain.” The narrator sets the
theme and eases us into the strange goings-on in Dillydale. This bit tends to be
30-40 seconds in length and is followed by 5 sketches of various lengths (from
about 30 seconds to 3 minutes). We also tend to throw in at least one groovy
70’s style music video that showcases one or more of our characters.
One
of the nice things about these sketches is the sheer variety and volume. The
characters are always on the move, visiting different places and trying
different activities, like weightlifting, skydiving, or taxidermy. OK, so maybe
not taxidermy, but still – they’re always busy with something new. Kind of like
that old college roommate who changed his major every other week – these Mr. Men
and Little Misses seem to have a new job or hobby in every episode. Also, the
myriad of decidedly distinct personalities creates all kinds of really funny
conflicts along the way. I mean, when Mr. Happy and Mr. Grumpy wind up on
a long distance road trip together, something’s gotta give.
To keep
things moving along, in between the longer sketches there will be quick (10
second) interstitial sight gags and visual one-liners…these are like the icing
on top of the main sketches, and should be a lot of fun. Or not. You’ll have to
be the judge. It’s really this kind of grab-bag format – long sketches, short
sketches, wonky narration, quick stand-alone gags that made shows like “Monty
Python” and “Laugh In” so much fun. We’re aiming to capture some of that same
spirit in The Mr. Men Show!
We’ll be posting various background designs
from the show to give you a sense of the visual approach we’ve taken. Also hope
to have some actual animation to post in the coming week or so.
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